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To move forward, one needs support. Infrastructure is the foundation of civilization. The better the infrastructure, the faster a country develops. This has been proven by thousands of years of human experience. In 1991, Ukraine inherited a fairly decent infrastructure. The legacy of the USSR was peculiar but managed to fulfill its functions. Roads designed for three-ton ZIL-130 trucks. Ports oriented towards grain imports. Cities built not for people, but for factory workers. Somehow, it all worked. Almost 30 years have passed. The economy has changed beyond recognition.

What happened to the infrastructure? MINTRANS’ partner, the Center for Economic Strategy, conducted a study on this issue. This infrastructure audit is possibly the first document of its kind in Ukraine. The conclusions are not entirely encouraging, but there is no reason for despair either. In short: Ukrainian infrastructure is slowing down the economy, and the government may have misjudged its priorities. The "Great Construction" project is an excellent initiative—thousands of kilometers of roads, schools, hospitals. More than 100 billion UAH has already been allocated for these purposes. The country has never spent so much on infrastructure development in a single year.

2020 promises to be a record-breaking year. And judging by the government's rhetoric and actions, large-scale construction will indeed begin in the spring. Will the Road Fund be able to handle this? So far, it is coping. The Cabinet of Ministers has already allocated over 30 billion UAH. The President has explained to regional governors that they are responsible for overseeing the construction. Regional authorities are coordinating priority projects with the government. Ukravtodor has launched a tender campaign. There are enough contractors. In the first list of the largest road construction companies, compiled by MINTRANS together with the public organization "Nashi Hroshi," there are 100 names.

The largest companies receive most of the contracts. Is this good or bad? MINTRANS writes about real life. Our core editorial values are honesty and freedom. Entrepreneurial capitalism is the highest form of economic freedom. In any competitive struggle, the consumer wins. In competitive markets, companies like OKKO and WOG emerge in Ukraine. In non-competitive ones, we get Kyivenergo service centers and unfinished bridges in Zaporizhzhia. If the largest contractors win fairly, MINTRANS is all for it. If we uncover unfair competition in tenders, we will report it both on our website and in our magazine. This time, MINTRANS did not set out to unravel the complexities of road construction. Our editorial team will be doing that continuously. The list of the 100 largest contractors is our first attempt to show who is who in the market. These 100 companies, their founders, and their managers are the protagonists of our publications.

Sooner or later, we will reach all market participants. We come in peace. MINTRANS' mission is to facilitate dialogue between market players and officials. MINTRANS is a media platform for those driving Ukraine forward!